Revolutionizing the High School Classroom

When One Door Closes, Open Another

The success of an ICT project depends on the continuing evaluation of the project. Those involved must ask themselves, “What worked, what hasn’t worked, and what needs to be changed to create success going forward?” My innovation plan to implement the station rotation model of blended learning in my school needed some serious reflection due to it slamming into a brick wall. This reflection can be found on my blog.

After reflecting on my work, I needed to gather new information from ICT projects that have been successful and that have failed. One mistake I have made as a teacher is assuming that my students are my students and that they must be taught as a unique group of individuals. When researching the various case studies completed across the globe, it becomes more apparent that students are students and kids are kids wherever you find them. If I can borrow from what was successful and identify what wasn’t in order to avoid mistakes already been made by others, then I can expedite the process of implementation of my innovation plan. My research can be found in my literature review of ICT projects that have been attempted across the globe.

My literature review provided me the opportunity to acknowledge what changes I could make to my innovation plan. The changes that I will be making to my innovation plan come in the form of a new timeline for my innovation plan. It is essential that my colleagues become familiarized with the station rotation model before attempting to implement it. I had previously planned to bring the station rotation model into my school by the 2017-2018 school year. I have reset my aims to bring the station rotation model into my school by the 2019-2020 year. Until then, I will be providing the opportunity to learn the model, practice the model, and be observed using the model via professional learning sessions given during our early-release Wednesdays. The summer of 2017 will provide me the time to develop an on-going curriculum to be given as professional learning sessions, the 2101-2018 school year will provide me the time to introduce the early adopters to the innovation plan, and by the 2018-2019 school year I will be continuing those professional learning sessions with the early majority. If I am successful in inserting these professional learning sessions, then I will be able to get back on the schedule of my original innovation plan. Implementation of the station rotation model in the 2019-2020 school year will lead to the collaboration between teachers in order to develop efficient lessons. I will foster the collaboration between the English and Social Studies department, which will lead to collaboration between the other departments. Once the station rotation model is in place, I will begin implementing the use of learning ePortfolios in the English department. The success of this implementation will move through the school as other departments begin to allow their students to demonstrate their learning in the collaborated lessons in their learning ePortfolios.